Laura Menzies of Tsawwassen is the latest member of the family to have donated items to Fintry that were part of the original assemblage. We are indeed very grateful for the many pieces that have been returned to Fintry over the years. Shown here are some of the objects that have just arrived from Laura's care.
A neatly made pig-skin folding case for three pairs of scissors. The case is lined with yellow silk, now somewhat frayed, but the cover flap of the case has the familiar J.C.D.W. initials stamped in gold leaf. Another leather case is shown that holds two multi-purpose tools. Equipped with these, one could cut wire, hammer nails, split kindling, extract nails, put in screws, open corked bottles, drill holes and pull out staples. The case was made by A. Bennett and Sons, an Irish family business established in London's fashionable Piccadilly, and who were well known for high quality leatherwork, luggage and other small personal effects, the kind of things that sportsmen and hunters who were not short of money would appreciate. Curiously, there is no maker's name or mark on either of the tools themselves. Also illustrated is a riding crop, of which we have several. This one however is in better condition that any of the others. It is made of wood, leather, silver and deer antler and is a product of the Callow workshop in Mount Street, London. The maker's name is given on a small silver roundel on the 'heel' of the deer antler handle. The only slight damage to this occurred when someone (was that you, James?) used that heel as a hammer, making the Callow name hard to read. Other items that came to us with these include an 8' X 10' Chinese carpet, a rocker type of holder for blotting paper, and an elaborate desk top stationery and inkwell holder. This is made of ebony veneer with extensive brass overlay trim and inset with an oval Wedgwood medallion. We are grateful to Laura Menzies for returning these items to Fintry, and we also have to thank Danny Kent and family, of Tsawwassen for accepting this material on our behalf, as I was unable to go to the coast to collect it during the summer. Danny is currently the Curator of Fishes at the Vancouver Aquarium, where one can visit, among many other things, the Graham Amazon Gallery, a walk-through tropical rain forest. This was sponsored by the Graham family, and as many will know, the late Art Bailey was one of Mrs. Graham's sons. There's a little bit of Fintry wherever you look!
Article originally posted in the November 2024 Octagon from the Friends of Fintry
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